Young women flocked to sporting news websites during Matildas run
The Matildas’ mighty run at the FIFA Women’s World Cup saw a record 14.4 million Australians visit sporting news websites and apps during August, with younger women leading the charge.
This is according to digital audience figures released by Ipsos iris.
Overall online sports consumption rose 5.4% in August, following a 4.7% leap in July – a month that saw the State of Origin, The Ashes, and the first ten days of the Women’s World Cup.
The Matildas’ continued success, however, drove these figures up further for August.
Audiences rose across the board, with more men and women of all age brackets visiting sporting sites in August, compared to July. However, the largest demographic increase was women aged 14 to 24, with digital sports news consumption in this age bracket up by 18%.
Matildas fever saw the World Cup’s official broadcasters benefit online, too.
The sports hub on 7news.com.au jumped to the fourth-most visited sports news site, with audiences up by 44%, while Optus Sport’s site saw an 83% audience increase, pushing it to eighth for the month.
FIFA’s own coverage saw a 43% spike too, as Aussies headed to the official source.
Not surprisingly, given its reach, news.com.au dominated sporting news audiences for the month, drawing over 5 million to its sporting section throughout the month.
“It was a great month for sport,” said news.com.au editor-in-chief Lisa Muxworthy, “with the biggest audience under Ipsos iris and a one million-plus gap on our nearest competitor.
“Australians embraced the ultimate second screen experience during the Women’s World Cup, and headed to news.com.au for all the moments they might have missed during the live coverage.
“Our record audience shows that news.com.au is the perfect companion while watching live sport and major events and we will always deliver the best angles.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Deputy Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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